Delicious and easy food for your family and friends

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PIGEON

As of 1st February, the pheasant and partridge season is over but there is still pigeon to be had out there in the countryside. Around us, the locals will gather in the woods during the late afternoon on a Saturday waiting for dusk and the pigeons coming to roost. These wily birds are really wild and very difficult to shoot as they jink high in the sky. The guns must remain well hidden in the near dark so they are not seen.

Therefore, any wild pigeon should be treated with the respect it deserves in the kitchen. If you are given any pigeon, pluck the breast feathers off straight away and then cut the breasts off. This is not a game bird to roast. Two tips – do NOT cook the pigeon breasts for too long. Flash fry them for 30 seconds on each side then roast for 3 minutes. Overcooked pigeon breast is tough and horrible to eat. Secondly, I always marinade the pigeon breast for 24 hours in a combination of red wine, a little goundnut oil and seasoning such as garlic and herbs. The process of marinading the meat helps to tenderise it and also improves the flavour of the pigeon that has been cooked quickly. If you are looking for a supply of pigeon, ask your local butcher or, in the countryside, a farmer.

For a recipe, I go back to an old cookery book Cooking for Friends by Raymond Blanc (1994). He looks very young on the front cover! You can still get a Used copy on Amazon for £4.30. Pigeon & Beetroot terrine is a recipe that is brilliant for a winter dinner party. It’s not difficult as long as you plan ahead and as always, use the correct sized equipment. In this case, a loaf tin. I buy all this type of kitchen stuff in Biggers of Bailgate in Lincoln – contact details below. You will need a weight to press the terrine down and I use a bag of lentils/beans etc. Use something that is heavy and will also spread out to fill the space.

Finally a serving tip. After the terrine has been turned out, use a very sharp carving knife to cut a clean, tidy slice. I then use a cake slice to carefully place it on the plate. I am making it sound a huge faff. It’s not, but I have done this many times and this is the best method. Please try it, your family and friends will be impressed and it’s delicious.

Method –Mix the marinade ingredients together. Place the pigeon breasts in a small flat dish and pour over the marinade. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for 24 hours. It’s good if you can remember to turn them a few times.

Wash the beetroots and place in a casserole dish. Cover with cold water and add a tsp of salt, the sugar, peppercorns and vinegar. Simmer for 50 minutes. I do this in the Aga (baking oven), otherwise a moderate oven – 150C if fine. Check they are cooked with a knife blade – they may need more time if they are large. Leave them to cool in the liquid.
This will be retained to make the jelly. Peel the beetroot and chop into 1/2 inch dice. Taste to check the seasoning. Set aside.

Place 300 ml of the beetroot water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the softened gelatine, take off the heat and stir. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 230C. Place the terrine tin in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.

Remove the pigeon breasts from the marinade and pat dry. Take a frying pan and heat the oil until hot. Sear the breasts for 30 seconds on each side. Season with salt and pepper and then place in a roasting tin in the oven for 3 minutes. Remove from the tin and allow to cool. Season again with more salt and pepper.

You will now build the terrine. Remove the terrine tin from the freezer and pour an 1/8inch
layer of jelly on the bottom. This will set immediately. Neatly place a layer of diced beetroot in the terrine, then along the middle, a line of pigeon breast. Cover with another layer of the diced beetroot. Top with the beetroot jelly and cover the terrine with cling film. Place the weight on top of the cling film and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.

Just before serving, remove the weight and cling film from the terrine. Dip the terrine tin in hot water. Heat a sharp knife under hot water and carefully run the blade along the inside.
Carefully invert onto a flat plate. Cut the terrine into slices and using the cake slice, place
onto the plates. Garnish with the salad leaves. Shake the salad dressing ingredients in a jam jar, season and drizzle onto the leaves. Your guests will love this delicious and smart
starter.